New bone conduction headphones with improvements

Around two years ago, Shokz revolutionized bone conduction headphones with the OpenRun Pro, which transmits music via the cheekbones and opened up a huge niche for open-ear headphones. In our test, the first edition was almost convincing across the board. Now the successor, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, is on the way. Our test reveals what’s new.

Technical data

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review: Detailed improvements

• Almost unchanged, high-quality design
• Excellent workmanship
• new USB-C port; second driver inside.

Visually, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 hasn’t changed much compared to the first model. The new model also comes with a rubberized neckband, which ensures a secure fit during sporting activities.

At 31 grams, the weight of the headphones has increased slightly compared to their predecessor (29g). The first noticeable change can be seen on the right side of the headband, because version 2 is now charged via USB-C instead of a proprietary port. Great, because this was one of the biggest criticisms of the first edition. This is located under a sealed cap that gives the headphones an IP55 certification – okay, the first edition had that too.

Otherwise, the design hardly differs from that of the first edition. With one crucial exception, because there are additional drivers inside, including the DualPitch imprint – the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 now use an additional air conduction driver that is responsible for bass reproduction. We explain the effects of this in the audio quality section.

Shokz has been able to further improve the comfort of its predecessor. On the one hand, the vibrations caused by bass have been further reduced, and on the other hand, the pressure of the headband and bone conduction headphones on the ears and cheekbones has been reduced by 16 percent in direct comparison.

The result is a truly impressive level of comfort, even over several hours. The headphones can even withstand quick movements without slipping. Excellent.

Functions, operation and battery life

• Bluetooth 5.3 including multipoint
• DirectPitch prevents sound loss
• 12 hours battery life; precise operation

Of course, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 has also undergone a lot of changes in terms of features. We have already mentioned the additional driver. In addition, the headphones now use the Bluetooth 5.3 standard, which not only improves efficiency, but also the range and connection quality.

The headphones also have Bluetooth Multipoint and can therefore be paired with two audio sources at the same time. There is also a special algorithm inside the housing that assigns each sound element to the appropriate driver and thus improves the sound. Unfortunately, there is still no wear detection.

DirectPitch technology is also on board, which prevents audio content from escaping. In practice, this works quite well even at maximum volume. In quiet environments, only nuances of the music being played can be heard.

The battery life of the OpenRun Pro 2 has also improved accordingly. Up to 12 hours of use are now possible, two hours more than the predecessor. An excellent value, thanks to which the headphones are also suitable for longer activities. Quick Charge also charges the headphones in 5 minutes for 2.5 hours of music playback.

The operating concept is similar to that of the first model. On the left side you will find an easily accessible button with which you can, among other things, control music playback or skip to the next or previous song.

The buttons can also be used to control calls and by holding them down for a longer period of time you can call up the respective voice assistant. The volume control, on the other hand, is located on the right earpiece and also works perfectly.

Unfortunately, we cannot yet say anything about the app connection via the Shokz app. In our preliminary test, the new Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 could not be recognized. According to the manufacturer, however, in addition to the multipoint control, it should be possible to influence the sound using four equalizer presets. There should also be two user-defined modes to choose from.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review: audio quality and microphone

• Good, detailed sound… but hardly any bass
• Rather low volume
• (good) open-ear headphones sound fuller and better

The combination of a new metal bone conduction driver and an additional 18 mm x 11 mm low frequency air conduction driver takes the audio quality of the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 to a whole new level.

In the promotional materials, the manufacturer speaks of a “concert-like sound”. I wouldn’t go that far, but the Pro 2 sounds significantly better than its direct predecessors and scores particularly well in the mid and high frequency ranges with many accurate details.

The bass reproduction is naturally rather weak due to the design, but is noticeably improved compared to the predecessor. In my opinion, however, the headphones have two major problems.

First, let’s talk about maximum volume. I realize that bone conduction headphones are designed to keep your ears free and thus provide additional safety when jogging or doing other sports. And you quickly notice that there is indeed a lot of power when you hold the drivers directly in front of your ears – but because they are transmitted via your cheekbones, not much of it reaches your ears. Even with moderately loud ambient noise, the full sound stage is no longer heard, especially with quieter songs, or is drowned out by the noise.

The second problem is the more powerful open-ear headphones, some of which (can) produce a noticeably better and, above all, louder sound. When the OpenFit Pro (1) was released, this segment was nowhere near as strong as it is today. However, models such as the beyerdynamic Verio 200 (our test) or the Shokz OpenFit Air (our test) from the same company deliver a noticeably livelier and richer (and louder) sound.

Microphone quality

The microphone quality of the OpenRun Pro 2 has also been improved. The manufacturer has installed two microphones in total, which also have AI-supported ambient noise suppression. This is said to be able to filter out 96.5 percent of unwanted noise from the environment, which I can confirm in my microphone test on a busy street.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 microphone test recording:

Shokz OpenRun Pro microphone test recording:

Shokz OpenFit Air microphone test recording:

beyerdynamic Verio 200 microphone test recording:

The microphones are designed to achieve clear speech intelligibility even at speeds of 25 km/h. Here, too, performance has been slightly improved compared to the first model, especially in terms of noise suppression.

The microphone quality is good and completely sufficient for phone calls. But here too, some competitors offer more.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Review: Conclusion

The new Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 represents a noticeable improvement in almost all areas compared to its now two-year-old predecessor. The wearing comfort has been increased even though the weight has increased slightly.

The new USB-C port is very practical, allowing charging with all suitable cables. The battery life has also been increased again. 12 hours is a really impressive value, which is enough even for marathon sessions and more.

However, the sound quality of the OpenRun 2 Pro has improved noticeably, which is mainly due to the second driver, which transmits the low frequencies directly to the ear, while the highs and mids are transmitted via bone conduction via the cheekbones.

However, the headphones have a big problem, because modern open-ear headphones – which were almost irrelevant two years ago – deliver a much louder and more harmonious sound.

This doesn’t necessarily make the purchase decision any easier. Should your ears remain completely free? Then the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is the best choice. But is it okay if the headphones sit in front of your ears? And you get significantly better sound quality for that? Then you should get open-ear headphones like the OpenFit (Air). This makes it difficult to give the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 a clear recommendation to buy.